Chapter Nine
Richard dialled his mom's number. She didn't accept the call the first two times. However the third time, she thankfully accepted his call.
"Yes Richard," she asked tiredly into the phone.
"Where are you now mom?" Asked Richard.
"Why are you asking?" asked his mom.
"Please, it's important. Tell me," he said with worry.
"I'm staying in a rented room near my office. Your grandpa gave me the ultimatum to either pay off the debtors or to leave. He couldn't take the harrassment any more. He had a mild stroke two weeks ago when you were in Alabama for work," said his mom with a sigh. His granny took the phone from his hands having heard everything on speak mode.
"Mom speaking Charlotte. I'm sorry for everything that you had to go through. I want you to come home to me immediately. Pack everything, vacate your room and come home. It's important, " said granny Blair.
"I can't leave Kentucky mom. The debtors are after me," said Richard's mom.
"I'll pay the debt off. Richard told me everything, " said granny Blair. There was a pin drop silence in the room.
"I've done things which you don't know about mom. I cannot go home, " she said.
"I know everything about the chest. It was yours Charlotte since you're my family. I would have given it to you if you had asked me once," said granny Blair. Richard's mom burst into tears.
"I'm sorry mom but I had no choice," she admitted.
"You bring it home along with you," said granny Blair.
"I don't have it with me. The two boys, Tony and Howard who were supposed to get it to me have disappeared with it. They didn't hand it over to me," said Richard's mom helplessly.
Granny Blair looked desperately at Richard. "Still you come home Charlotte. I'll pay off the debtors and we can find the silver chest together," said granny Blair.
"Okay mom. I'm coming home," said his mom. They disconnected the call.
"The burglars have disappeared with the chest. They haven't handed it over to your mom," said granny and they all stared at her.
"They might have realized it's value and got greedy, " said Skylar.
"In that case the chest was with them that day when we visited Ben McKenzie's farm where they were staying," said Jasper.
They all gasped. "Then if we would have followed the younger brother that day, he would have led us to the chest, " said Daryll.
"We need to immediately update the police to search for two instead of one culprit," said Richard. He called up officer Bentley and updated him. He promised to come over in a day as soon as he was free.
Stanley and the children left granny Blair's house. Stanley wanted to take them sightseeing. He took permission from Daryll and Diana's mom. The children were very excited. They quickly got ready to go out. In half an hour they all trooped out to Stanley's car. They had informed Richard too and he too wanted to go out with them. So uncle Stanley picked him up too in his truck and they all went sightseeing.
First they went to the Maymont farm which was a 100-acre Victorian estate and public park. It contained the Maymont Mansion, now a museum, an arboretum, formal gardens, a carriage collection, native wildlife exhibits, a nature center, and a children's farm. After spending sometime there, they went to The American Civil War Museum which was a multi-site museum, dedicated to the history of the American Civil War.
It was already lunchtime, so they went to a family pizza joint which was a local favourite in Richmond, famous for it's innovative pizzas. They ordered Street club special pizza with freshly sliced ham and turkey, bacon, loaded with caramelized onions, red and green peppers and loads of mozzarella and cheddar cheese. Mexican delight pizza with ground beef, onion, jalapenos, cheddar cheese and sauce and sour cream, Meat Master pizza with ground beef, Italian sausage, ham, pepperoni, onions and cherry tomatoes. Smoked gouda bites, chicken wings, pasta carbonara. Jasper and Daryll chose their own ingredients and built their own pockets. They all ordered chocolate sundaes afterwards. It was the best meal ever.
"I'm so full. I feel like a big fat potato," said Diana. They all laughed.
Later they all went to William Byrd Park which was located north of the James River and adjacent to Maymont. The 200-acre park included a mile-long trail with exercise stops, monuments, an amphitheatre, and three small lakes: Shields, Swan, and Boat Lake. They rented pedal boats and enjoyed boating in the crystal clear waters. There was a children's park to play.
Afterwards they were too tired so decided to go back home. So Stanley drove them back home. They dropped Richard at granny Blair's house and returned home. Later they checked out all the photographs that they had taken throughout the day.
"Stop, let me see this picture," said Jasper. Stanley showed him the picture on his mobile phone. Jasper zoomed the picture and checked minutely.
"See, I knew it. That's the burglar there behind us. He'd been stalking us the whole day. Don't know why?" Said Jasper, pointing at a figure peeping from behind a pillar behind them. Everyone zoomed to see how he looked like. Stanley loaded the photograph on his laptop to take a better look at him.
"We need to be more alert and catch him next time," said uncle Stanley. Richard called Jasper to inform that his mom had arrived. They updated him about the burglar. He wanted the picture so Jasper sent him on his mobile.
It was already late so they decided to go and meet Richard's mom the next morning. They told their mom all that they saw and ate. It was an exciting day. They played water games with their uncle.
After having a light dinner, they all excitedly planned for the next day. At last they went off to sleep.
